Cooped Up
by themostcleverandwittyname
Summary: After failing to start her dream in the city, the fashion designer turned farmer tries to cope with her new life in the last-ditch effort to make a happy home for herself. She has so many concerns for her new life. How much of her identity is stuck in the city? Will she even make a difference? It's undeniable that she will make a difference for a certain depressed coop keeper.
1. Fake it

To say that Jennifer's world had done a complete 180 was spot on and in no way an exaggeration. Her new environment so harshly contrasted the life she had been living since she began college and graduated two years ago.

From studying to work in fashion design to being locked in at Joja Corp as a social media supervisor for their online accounts to being elbow deep in fertilized soil and beyond winded was as different as she could feel.

Having been on this new plot of land for only four days, she felt she had done well. She wondered if her grandfather would be proud of the way that she had cleared the weeds and drug all of the overgrowth and fallen trees from the choice plot in a short time.

In all honesty, this would never be her first pick nor was it something that she could ever see herself doing. It was the total opposite and she would be lying to say that she wasn't concerned for herself and beyond doubtful. How could she ever do this successfully? When she cringed at the dirt that covered her? When she heard the call of a rooster and was startled and left uneasy by the prospect of being a victim to being flogged? When taking it easy and slow was already so difficult? She was deeply concerned and hoped that it wasn't too obvious. She had always been somewhat hopeful and optimistic, even in the toughest times. She would always be okay.

She was even more determined to make it as she considered her other options. The day she decided that she couldn't bear to work at Joja Corp anymore, she knew that she couldn't turn back. The deep aversion to turning back now or years down the road was something that she knew wouldn't wane. She couldn't go back and with her dream of becoming a fashion designer, she wasn't sure it would ever go forward. This plot of land, which she had never knew existed until a month ago, was her saving grace and she hopped it would continue to be.

She would have to fake it until she made it.

The dirt that coated her to her elbows was anything but fake, but the google search she had to make to learn how to till the soil and plant the parsnip seeds she had been gifted was more than enough to prove that she had no earthly idea how to run a farm or maintain crops. She had spent the majority of her free time absent of clearing the land in an exhausted state of watching tutorial after tutorial on how to do the basic things. Jen prayed that the videos and articles that she read held enough truth and experience for her to get through the season.

As she tilled the soil, breathing heavily and trying to ignore her aching bones, the farming podcast she was listening to mentioned something that she hadn't considered before.

"...And in the spring is the perfect time for baby chicks! If you want eggs by summer, then this is the time to begin choosing the breed. Brown eggs come from…" she cut it short as she scrambled to pause the leave her tilling. Eggs would be great and would help her a lot in bringing in profit. She didn't have as much faith in the parsnips as she did eggs and she was certain that she couldn't pass the opportunity up. She wondered if there was anyone around in Pelican Town that sold livestock and could maybe give her some advice.

Setting the hoe down, she dusted herself off as much as she could and made her way into the small, drab house that accompanied the plot. She wondered how on earth her grandfather managed in it. There was no stove and only a fireplace, which she couldn't imagine cooking on. For the past few days, she was living off ramen that she made with an electric kettle and cans of tuna. She was determined to get the place in working order as soon as she dealt with the stack of unpacked and nearly forgotten boxes that cluttered the small area. It was so small and disorderly, she couldn't even bring her pet with her yet for fear of the move being too much for the old feline. Her dad kindly let it stay with him until she settled.

Scanning the box filled room, she spotted the small envelope that Robin and Mayor Lewis had emphasized as important. Pulled the paper out, her eyes lingered over the handwritten list of businesses in the town and she quickly found what she was looking for.

**Marnie's Ranch: Livestock and animal supplies**

Jennifer nodded and took a look at the map she was also given. Lucky for her, the ranch was just south of her farm. She took a look at the time and it was only half-past noon. Surely it wouldn't hurt to visit and ask a few questions, maybe get some advice?

Any advice would be good advice.

* * *

"Hey, are you Marnie?" She asked, her timid voice low. She had gotten herself a little spruced up, still wary of making good first impressions. The last thing she wanted was a lazy reputation when she was so new. She had opted to put on a full face of soft glam makeup and wash all the dirt from her before picking out a cropped shirt and high waisted jeans It was quite strange using the bathhouse due to the lack of shower in her new home, but it did the job. If there was one thing she could showcase to the town, it was her fashion, even if it wasn't necessary.

Still, good style or not, she was still careful and timid as she shut the door to the ranch behind her, the older woman at the front desk raised her eyebrows and nodded. This would be the only person in the town that she had talked to yet besides Robin and Lewis. The woman gave her a knowing smile, her eyes creasing in the corners and her kindness was shown in the way her light wrinkled folded. She smiled a lot and her face showed that. Her red hair curled down and hung loosely, touching her faded overalls.

"Miss Jennifer, I was wondering when you would come to meet me! It's so nice to meet you! Robin told me how lovely you were but I can see she under-exaggerated." She cooed and made her way around to the front of the front desk, which upon further inspection, was just as much a part of her house as the kitchen to the right.

"Oh, that's so sweet. Thank you." Jen gushed and waved her hand. "I was hoping I wouldn't bother you but I need to ask some questions. I hate that our first meeting has to have a little bit of business thrust into it, but I need to know how I should start raising chickens on my farm."

"Oh, you're so polite. I don't mind answering your questions a bit." the elder woman said and began to muse, "Let's see, now the first thing you need is a place for them to stay. I don't know if Robin told you, but she can build you a coop that will suit the chickens just fine. Second, you need to have a way to feed them. I recommend a silo for grain, but you can always buy it from here. After that, then you can come back and buy the chicks that you want. You can pick them out and everything." Jennifer took a page of mental notes and nodded along.

"Get a coop, some feed, and come back later? Got it." She stated aloud, more for herself than for Marnie. The elder nodded and added something else.

"Yes, just come back and either Shane or I will help. We'll even deliver the chicks to your coop after you pick them out." She added and Jen released a breath of relief. She wasn't sure how this was going to go with her not so hidden fear of chickens, but it was nice to know that she didn't have to bring them home and have to worry about losing them from the ranch to her coops.

"That's a relief. And Shane is…?" she asked and Marnie took a moment to be surprised that she hadn't elaborated.

"Oh right, he's my nephew. He helps me out around here with the cows and chickens. You haven't seen him around yet, have you?" she asked and Jen shook her head.

"I haven't seen much of anyone yet. I've been so busy getting the farm started that I've only been into the town once." she admitted, a small laughed punctuated her statement.

"Oh gracious honey, you need a rest. A little bit of socializing and meeting the townsfolk will do your farm no harm, I promise. Have you been to the Stardrop Saloon yet?" Jen shook her head and looked down.

"Ah, no. I haven't. I'm not much of a drinker." She gave and Marnie laughed.

"There's not just drinks there. They have coffee and Italian food as well." the redhead explained and Jennifer perked up.

"Oh coffee… I guess I could take the evening. Besides, I think I might go nuts if I have to eat another cup noodle dinner." She posed and Marnie reached out and patted her shoulder, much like a grandmother or very friendly church woman would do.

"There you go, you poor thing. Get your belly full and meet some people. There's a girl your age you may take to, her name is Hailey and she might be there. She sometimes gets a bite to eat. You both would make great friends."

Jen gave an embarrassed laugh and felt like a kid for a moment, being set up for a playdate.

"Okay, I'll go. Thank you so much Marnie! I'll be back when I get a coop up." She promised as she took the doorknob in hand.

"Don't wait too long! I wanna hear about you and your farm every once in a while." and with that, Jen was out and walked along the fence to head over to the Saloon, determined that she would have a peaceful evening and eat well for the first time all week.

Inside the fence, a chicken clucked and startled her, her heart jumped and she immediately felt silly after a moment. Her concerns resurfaced in the back of her mind.

How was she going to cope with a coop full of scary chickens?

* * *

The Saloon was cozy and dingy, warm and rundown. The cushioned barstools were comfy enough and after a few short conversations with Gus, the bartender, Elliot, some writer, and Abigail, an odd yet kind girl, she should be feeling better.

But she did not.

With her acquaintances gone, if she could call them that, she stared down into the black coffee and still felt out of place. The spaghetti she had ordered was a nice contrast to the ramen she had been stuck with, but it only served to remind her of the amazing Italian restaurant back in the city. The coffee was, however, not delicious and she had trouble bringing herself to take another sip of the watered down and stale liquid. Out here, there were no fancy cafes or specialty restaurants. This black coffee was good enough for most people and it was her fault for being so spoiled, but she found herself extremely repulsed by the lack of espresso, steamed milk, and caramel sauce that she ordered every day.

She was more homesick than she realized.

She was silently mopping about her lack of familiarity with her surroundings and the absence of her favorite coffee. Not sure what had caused her sudden shift in mood, she suddenly wasn't up to continuing "social hour" and wanted to go back home and watch more online classes about farming. If she began to slack, she would fail and she was terrified of admitting she was an absolute beginner in a new place.

Her identity was a caramel latte and now she was trying to be a plain black instant coffee. Was it safe to say that it was hard to identify with the farm type? Was it their differences or her own reluctance to understand that would fail her? She didn't know. Maybe she was the plain black coffee and everyone else was the caramel latte?

She muttered a small thanks and good evening to Gus, who hummed in acknowledgment. With her coffee forgotten, she hopped down from the barstool and turned to leave but went nowhere. Instead, she slammed into something solid and was drenched with cold liquid. She gasped and stepped back, the coldness shocked her. She found herself in the midst of a big mess, and it only took one whiff to realize that she wasn't drenched in water or soda, but beer.

The victim, though she wanted to believe it was her, stood and stared at her in disbelief, his dull green eyes narrowing. The man scowled at her, his five o'clock shadow only added emphasis to his disappointment. His dark hair was messy and his appearance even more so. Gus looked from her to the man in his surprise.

"Oh my-...I'm so sorry." she covered her mouth in her shock and embarrassment. She should offer to buy him another one, it was only fair. She was going to jump to action to make it up to the stranger before he spoke up and interrupted her decision.

"You should be. Try watching out next time. You don't own this saloon." he growled out and shoved his now empty glass to the bar top. "You cost me my beer." he glared and she could stop herself from snapping back.

"Oh, your beer is the concern? What about my shirt?" she snapped and the man rolled his eyes and scoffed.

"Your shirt? Looks like I did you a favor," he smirked and turned away to order what he lost.

"Wow…" she started and mentally reevaluated the situation. Arguing wasn't going to help and this was a bad enough first impression. Instead, she turned to the bartender.

"Have a good evening, I'm so sorry about the mess." she apologized, shooting the angry man a glare. He didn't seem to notice at all. _A favor_, yeah right. He looked like the type to go to Buffalo Wild Wings way too often, and that was _not_ a compliment in the slightest.

The door to the saloon swung shut behind her and she took a deep breath. Any residual anger resided and she was left with the realization that she could have handled it differently. Although she knew she was justified, she was better than that. Her reputation was better and she knew her she would regret it. Even if she hadn't said it, she still thought it.

Still, she needed to calm down. She didn't know the town as much as she wanted to and the sun was beginning to set. Taking a walk wouldn't hurt.

* * *

"That was a good girl you just ran off, you know that?"

Shane took the beer and handed over the appropriate amount of cash, before grumbling his response.

"Good. The less I see of her, the better." He took his beer and shrugged off anything that Gus would have said, stepping over the mess that the woman had made. Served her right, he hoped that the encounter would warn her enough to stay the hell away. He didn't want anything to do with the "new girl in town" that everyone was so curious about. It wasn't like the arrival of anyone new would bring anything good to him and he knew that. All she would be is another face to pass by and ignore.

The gossip that everyone passed around is that she inherited some large plot of farmland and came from the city to give it a shot. A city girl like her wouldn't make it a season, he decided, taking a large sip of his beer. The way she complained about her shirt. She wouldn't last another few weeks.

The hearsay, not that he listened, was that everyone was excited and hoped she could help everyone out with her farm. No one wanted to rely on JojaMart and farmer's markets in Pelican Town were greatly loved and anticipated. He would almost root for her if it meant taking money from the hellscape that was Joja Corp, but he knew she wouldn't make a difference. All of the rumors and hopes were false. Everything that the townsfolk said was wrong.

Except for one thing. The rumors that she was nice looking were true.

* * *

The beer wasn't doing it for him. He needed something stronger.

Venturing out into the dark, he stumbled along his path home, his light buzz only enough to smear his thoughts. This evening, he left the saloon just shy of nine, rather than his usual close to midnight departure. The atmosphere of the bar was a little more dense and uninviting this evening and he wasn't about to hang around.

No, he would board himself in his room and get the whiskey he had stashed away.

The outside light of the ranch came into few and he took a deep breath. Jas and Marnie would still be up at this time and he really just wanted to sneak in unseen. He didn't want to feel that lingering guilt if Jas saw him like this, but it wasn't like she didn't know. In his limbo, he thought he heard a distant voice. Maybe he was finally going crazy.

Moments later, he heard it again. It was too far away to decipher. Who would be out in the forest this late? He struggled between deciding that it was none of his business and checking it out. He wasn't sure if he was curious or just delaying walking into the house, but he quietly followed the direction of the voice.

A faint glow of a phone and a voice came into view, at the end of the pier that stretched over the small lake. He could barely make the outline of the figure out in the darkness. The voice was both familiar and unfamiliar to him, but he immediately knew who it was. He frowned and wondered if he should yell out to her with something that will make her leave, but he opted to stand silently, his arms folded. Her conversation continued on, her half was all that was needed to understand what was being said.

"I don't know what I'm doing, dad. I don't know if I've made a mistake or did something right for once?" Her voice echoed over the lake.

_A mistake_

"I realized how much I miss home. How much I miss Greg. I miss…" she took a breath "The cafe I always visited every day."

_Good, go home,_ he thought. _Go back to Greg_, he thought, assuming that was her partner or boyfriend.

"I'm sorry, I know I'm complaining. I'm not giving up yet. Today has just been awful." she paused and continued, "It didn't start awful, but it ended awful. Long story short, I smell like a man cave carpet on Saturday night."

Shane was sure she did and did he care? Not a bit. He had heard enough. He wouldn't be seeing her much anymore and he took great satisfaction in that. Without much more of a clouded thought, he slunk away and tried to ignore the last thing he heard her say in favor of returning to his whiskey for the night.

"I just don't know what to do."


	2. Apology

Jennifer sat alone in the saloon, periodically looking up from her phone. She was watching a farmer's digest special to help her understand fertilizer better. She was biding her time patiently, the occurrence of the day before still weighed on her and she couldn't let it go unresolved. The very thought that she had made a bad impression shook her and she couldn't allow it. Besides, the harshness she was met with was perhaps also a bad first impression on the man's part. She didn't want to hold that against him if that were the case.

She didn't know his name, but she had the hunch that he may be back at the saloon that evening so she took her chance. She was going to do what she should have the night before.

While she waited, she noticed that a blonde woman had walked in, her curly hair was stunning and her outfit was well put together. She had doe-like blue eyes and a light dust of a blush on her cheeks. A camera hung from her neck. Jennifer sat close to the register, so she was present when the women bounced up, her skirt flouncing. She turned her attention to Jen and gave her a kind smile.

"Your make-up is so pretty! I love that warm eyeshadow look. It goes great with your brown eyes." she gushed and Jennifer's eyebrow's raised.

"I was going to say the same thing about you! Your outfit is adorable!" Jen cooed, feeling a mutual glee. The woman looked down and pinched the hem of her powder pink skirt.

"Thanks, I just love pastels in fashion. I think they're adorable." she said and patted her skirt back down, swaying a bit.

"Oh, absolutely and they're so in style right now! But watch out, I think neon will be making a comeback soon." Jen added and the woman nodded, watching from the corner of her eyes as Gus walked over to the register.

"One order of breadsticks, please!" the blonde ordered immediately, not waiting to be asked. Gus nodded and punched the buttons on the register. The blonde handed the man the money and looked back over to Jen.

"It's so nice to finally meet you! I was excited when I heard that there was a new girl in the valley. Maybe we can meet up and have tea one day. Do you like tea?" she asked and the invitation made Jen's heart swell.

"I love tea! That would be so fun." She agreed and then cleared her throat. "My name is Jennifer, by the way." she introduced and Gus returned with the bag of breadsticks in hand.

"Oh, I knew that! My name is Haley. I hope we can be good friends." she introduced, a smile on her features. Jen needed this, a sweet friend in the town. She was filled with excitement just thinking about it. Taking the bag in her hand and not giving Gus much of a glance in return, she added, "I hate to leave but I've gotta go. Maybe we can meet up tomorrow and chat for a while! I'll come to visit the farm and we can have lunch, how does that sound?" she asked and Jen nodded.

"That sounds great. I'll see you then!". She confirmed and Haley gave her a little wave with her fingers and left, the door swinging shut.

Jen sighed and let her mind replay the short conversation. So that was the Haley that Marnie was talking about? She was right, it seemed. Looked like they would get along. Thinking about tomorrow and wondering how their meet-up would go, she had forgotten that she had been watching the fertilizer video. And she had not paid much attention to the sound of the saloon door swinging back open. Just next to her, the bar patron stepped up to the register and Jen had almost forgotten why she was here.

Lucky for her, she wouldn't have to wait any longer. The man from the day before pulled out his wallet and mumbled his order, not bothering to look over at her. Figures, he must still be sore about yesterday.

Before Gus could take the payment, Jennifer was quick on the draw and sneakily reached over to offer her debit card. The man paused and looked over at her in shock and suspicion. He looked just as rugged as the day before and his obvious glare wasn't exactly what she had expected but perhaps he thought she was trying to order before him.

"I'll pay for that," she stated to Gus, who looked confused but didn't argue. He took the debit card and punched the details in before handing it back. "I wanted to apologize for yesterday. I hope that this makes up for it." she said and the man shut his green eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose, sighing out loud.

"Apology accepted. Now don't do that again, I don't want charity." he said flatly, his deep voice held a twinge of sharpness. Gus handed the man his beer in a chilled mug and he grabbed it without hesitation and rushed past her. She was at a loss for a moment. Surely it wasn't _another_ bad day. Maybe she should clarify.

She hopped off the barstool and half followed him to where he was heading, an empty spot near the fireplace. He gave her a pointed look when he realized she had followed him over and he stared down into his glass.

"Um, I think you have the wrong idea" she gave, a nervous laugh escaped her, "It's not charity, it's an apology and I more or less wanted to introduce myself. We didn't get off on the right foot and I-" she began but he interrupted her.

"In that case, I care even less. I don't wanna talk to you so leave me alone." He barked out and took a seat, turning his back to her.

She stood, perplexed by the interaction. So this is how it's gonna be? She had met many assholes in her life, but no one had been this quick to discard her. She had done her part and she had apologized and that's all she could do but it still stung. Facing such unwarranted harshness was not something she was used to. Still feeling conflicted, she turned on her heel and made sure her phone was in her pocket. She gave a silent wave at Gus and left the bar just as the man had asked. She felt even more unresolved than before and retraced her actions in her mind. How could anything she had said be misconstrued, she wondered. How could it have come across? Not finding any answer, she let the door swing shut behind her and heard a familiar voice usher her.

"Pssstt, Jennifer! Do you know who you were just talking to?" It was Haley and she was ducked by the window. The realization dawned on her that the blonde had seen the whole thing through the glass. "I hope you didn't mind, but when I saw him walk in I just had a feeling he would be a jerk like usual. I had to make sure you were okay but I didn't expect you to talk to him." she explained, her blue eyes wide and her hand placed in front of her lips.

"A jerk huh? I thought when I met him yesterday he was just in a bad mood. I didn't expect him to…" she couldn't finish her sentence. Haley gave her a pitying look.

"You can't be nice to that guy. Not only is he impossible to be nice to but he's really mean and," she paused and held her palm to her cheek, a cue that she was going to whisper a secret "_a really bad alcoholic_." she punctuated with a nod. Jennifer glanced in the window at the man, who sat alone and stared into his mug.

"Oh…" was all she managed and Haley reached out to pat her arm.

"It's okay. You didn't know. Shane is the worst." she said with an eye roll, "It's really best that you stay away from him. If I hadn't told you, it wouldn't take long to convince you that he's an ass, if you don't already think so." She advised and her words seemed to come from genuine concern. Jen didn't know either of them very well, but she was inclined to believe the blonde in front of her.

"You're right, I won't bother with him. I don't need that." she said and Haley squealed.

"Good, good! I'm glad you listened to me. I'm just trying to look out for you." she admitted and walked past Jen, her hair rustled by the breeze.

"I'll see you tomorrow, Jen! Take it easy." She said and continued on down the stone path and into the square. Jen gave her a wave and absently stood in silence. Giving the man one last look through the window, she turned on her heel and made her way back to her farm.

She had wasted too much time on that Shane guy anyway and she was nice. It's his fault for being rude, she decided.

Content with her hopes at gaining a new friend who was already looking out for her, she spent the rest of the evening with robin discussing the construction of a new coop with only one thing bothering her. If only she could remember why the name _Shane_ was familiar to her.


	3. Marnie's Nephew

A week passed since Jen had first met Haley and they had met up almost every day since. This was the first day that she had not managed to make an outing because this was a more special day on her farm.

She had so much fun with Haley and was reminded of a friend she had in college. The blonde photographer in practice was extremely supportive and told her what she knew about other townsfolks and Jen herself wondered how far it fell into gossip but most of what Haley had shared was truthful so far. Jen really enjoyed having lunch and tea with her and it was a welcome friendship. Not only was Haley an interesting and fun friend so far, but they also shared a common interest.

Makeup and fashion.

Haley had introduced her to her sister, Emily, who oftentimes was a worker in the Saloon. She also got to meet Alex, who seemed nice enough but there was one thing that irked Jennifer about him. His nickname for her, _Farmer Girl_. She hated it.

In the moments she could barely afford to spare outside of tending to her farm and trying to get her parsnips to flourish, she would go visit Haley, who always welcomed her in to chat. It was that or she would opt for some alone time to sit at the pier south of her farm. One thing she enjoyed without a doubt was the sounds of the forest, the birds and trees. She loved the lapping of the water at the water's edge and against the pier. It was soothing and relaxing and welcome when she was beyond exhausted.

It was then when she was alone that she could think about her progress and wonder if she was doing everything right. She could reflect on her day and wonder if she could keep it up, if she would get better, or if it was all doomed.

Even if she had tea with Haley once in a while, she still missed her city cafe latte.

Today was the big milestone on her farm, and despite having poured her savings into it, a coop was sure to help her farm grow and make a profit. She was excited and relieved, yet there was still that fear she had yet to get over. She had tried to get over it by watching "cute chicken videos" but for every cute video, there was another one of a rooster chasing a kid or a hen flogging someone who dared to enter the coop.

Still, her pride and determination to eventually be able to sell fresh eggs were enough for her not to hesitate. She was gonna have eggs even if she had to run, screaming out of her coop every single day. With another satisfied look at her new coop and a small stock of feed while her silo was being constructed, she walked around her freshly watered crops and made her way to the ranch.

In no time, she had made it to the door of the ranch, the moos of the dairy cows welcomed her. She took the time to dust herself properly, looking dreadful and dirty but that was the price to pay for her hard work. She was taking showers nearly every day because she refused to walk into town looking so dreadful. She had her appearance to uphold and she stuck to it. The exception was of course that Marnie didn't seem like she cared a bit and Jennifer knew she already trusted herself enough to look humble.

Having dusted herself enough, she stepped into the ranch door and Marnie called from a back room. Jen waited and perked up when she saw the woman appear from around a corner near the back of the house.

"Oh miss Jennifer, I know why you're here today! Robin already told me, but I'm having a small issue." She called out, looking back into the room she came from before making her way to the front.

"An issue? I could come back later if I need to?" Jennifer offered but Marnie shook her head in response.

"No need. It's just that my niece is sick with a virus. Poor Jas has been in and out of the bathroom all morning, bless her heart. I can't come to help you, but my nephew can. It's actually his day off and I'm sure he wouldn't mind." She gave and immediately set on her way. "He's in our coop right now, I'll go get him. Stay here." She ordered and Jennifer stood in the lobby, if it could be called that being the foyer of a house.

She wondered what Marnie's nephew was like. She knew that Marnie had told her his name but Jen couldn't remember what it was. She wondered if he would be a good friend to her. She wished that was the case, as this ranch was essentially her neighbor. She came up with a quick mental image of what Marnie's nephew was like. Kind like Marnie? Humble like Marnie? Surely he'd have red hair like Marnie?

In no time, Marnie returned, talking over her shoulder to her nephew, who followed her out the door and into the kitchen. It took her a moment to recognize him, but her sinking feeling set in as soon as she did.

That's right… Marnie's nephew's name was Shane.

Jen closed her eyes and took a deep breath to prepare herself. _Just be professional. He doesn't want to talk to you any more than you want to be snapped at by him_, she told herself. It was hard to not feel a little uneasy with the cold, apathetic stare he was giving her as he made his way to the lobby and leaned against the wall, looking as if he'd rather jump off a bridge than help her. He looked only slightly more put together today, but his clothing choice lacked taste. Khaki shorts and a baggy black shirt didn't exactly speak fashionable, but the lack of a proper shave was the worst of it. She supposed she was being the slightest bit hypocritical, adorning a dirty set of overalls herself, but at least she had a reason. The redhead made her way to the front desk and opened up an invoice book.

"Okay, Miss Jennifer. How many chicks do you need?" She asked and clicked her pen. Jen had her mind made before she came, the most obvious choice for her to make.

"Twelve. A dozen chickens, a dozen eggs, right?" she half-joked but her humor wasn't as helpful to her when she heard a barely audible groan from the dark-haired man. She was tempted to look at him but she kept her eyes on Marnie, ignoring him. Marnie gave her a smile and she nodded and hummed as she wrote it down.

"Twelve chicks it is. Shane, if you would…" She began but what she was asking was implied. Without a word, he pulled himself from the wall and disappeared into the house. Marnie sighed and gave her the amount owed. After she had paid and they waited on the grump to return, Marnie spoke up hesitantly.

"Miss Jennifer, I hope you don't mind if my nephew is a little reluctant to talk. I would say he's shy, but the truth is that he's a little rough around the edges but I think he'd help you with anything if you ask." she said and Jennifer nodded in acknowledgment. She didn't know what to say and saying nothing was the best option for being genuine. Marnie changed the subject.

"How is your farm? Pierre has been saying that the exports are very solid for your first season. You're doing well but what do you think?" She asked and Jennifer wondered for a moment if she should express her concerns for her farm. The decision was made quickly.

"Oh it's wonderful. I feel like I've got the hang of it already. By this time next year, I'm sure I'll have made it worthwhile. I couldn't be more pleased." She said, her optimistic words smeared her truth a bit but it was worth it to appear composed. She didn't need to complain or show that she was struggling.

"Oh good! I'm so glad you think so! A farm is a lot of work but you're handling it well." she complimented. Any further conversation topic was stopped as a door creaked open and the brooding man stepped out with a box that peeped and squeaked. Jen was curious as to what the chicks looked like but she would find out later. She didn't want to peer into the box now.

"Shane, if you would, could you give her a little rundown of how to take care of them when you get there. I'm sure it would help her a lot." Marnie asked and the man rolled his eyes.

"No need. I think I've got it. I just need to have them brought over." Jennifer stated, hoping that the less time spent with him meant the less likely chance of him being mean to her. Marnie still gave Shane a look as if to say that he should do it anyway but he didn't seem to pay attention. Instead, he looked from the box to the door.

"Good idea, let's get this over with." he muttered, that same sharpness present in his voice. Jen gave Marnie a wary look before taking the hint. She rubbed her temples and set off towards the back of the house to where her niece was.

There goes the hope of her neighbor being her friend.

* * *

He couldn't understand what was so difficult about carrying your own chicks home. The box wasn't huge and the new girl was more than capable of doing it herself. No, it was his aunt's idea of decent customer service, as if he didn't have enough of that already.

His plan was to put the chickens in the coop for the city girl and get the hell out of there. He didn't want to hang around and chit chat like old people. He was not in the mood at all today and on his day off he just wanted to stay home and be miserable, maybe check in on Jas too. He was silent as he followed the new farmer, grateful she hadn't tried to strike up any conversation yet. Her braided dusty blonde hair hung and swayed behind her as she led the way, not that he needed directions. Everyone knew where everything was in this small town.

After a short walk, they came upon her farm and he was hasty to set the box of chicks in front of the coop door for Jennifer to deal with, his opposition to help her more than necessary out shadowed his concerns for the chicks. He doubted she knew how to take care of them and he didn't want to see her at the ranch every time she had a question or issue. Still, without a word he turned to leave, his duty done before she called out to him.

"Hey, um..." She began and gave a suggestion more than asking a question "Could you open it for me? In the coop, preferably." She asked, her brown eyes looking at him hopefully.

He stared at her for a moment. She can't even open the box herself? She'll fail here in no time. Without a word, he stepped into the coop and pulled the box in. He looked up at her to see that she was standing outside the coop, peering in from around the door frame. Whatever, it was none of his concern. He kneeled down onto the hay covered flooring, the cushion was at least done right but he wasn't sure if it was the work of Jennifer or Robin, but he liked to think it was Robin.

He opened the box and a chorus of cheeps sounded as the chicks awaited their release from the cardboard cell. He reached in and scooped the fuzzy babies out one at a time, their calls felt grateful. He felt like he was doing them an injustice, putting them into the care of the most incapable farmer in town. Soon, all twelve were hopping around curiously, their marble-like eyes taking in their new home.

He looked back up to see that the woman was still peeking from behind the door. He gave her an incredulous look and her eyes followed the chicks as they bounced around.

Finally, she spoke.

"So… they don't bite at this age, right? Do they like being petted or should I not do that?" she asked, her seriousness stark in her voice.

Bite? Was she for real? He scoffed and gave the most abridged version of his answer that he could as he stood.

"They don't bite, they peck. If you don't pet them, they won't like you and they won't come to you if they get loose." He gave. She still stared from around the door. She almost looked… scared? _No, it can't be. She wasn't scared of them, was she?_

"Oh… cool. Does pecking hurt?" she asked, still eyeing the chicks.

"Why don't you sit with them for a while. See if that will answer your questions." he scoffed and took to his feet. She nodded and slowly crept into the coop, a small chick a few feet from her.

"Hey there… buddy? You're cute." She cooed at it and it cocked its head to the side. She offered her hand down to its level, and he could have sworn her hand trembled the tiniest bit. The chick decided to fluff up its feathers and rush over to her hand to greet her.

With a shriek that Shane was certain would give him a headache if he wasn't over his hangover, she bolted from the coop faster than he could register. He was stunned for a moment and the humor and ridiculousness of the situation at hand caught up to him. He burst into laughter and took a few steps to see where the girl had run to. Maybe she would keep running and not stop.

His wish was denied but his chuckle still bubbled from him.

"That's the most-" he laughed midsentence, interrupting himself. "-Pathetic thing I've seen. Why would you buy chickens if you're scared of them?" he asked through his laughter. He watched as her pale-faced fright melted into a stern stare. She was catching her breath but she was still determined to answer him.

"I-_huff_\- I don't know! I just…" She trailed off. "It'll be okay. I'm sure it won't be a problem." She gave and if he wasn't so off out by her stupidity, he might admire her optimism. He let his laughter die out.

"This is ridiculous, you know. I don't know why you're trying to do this. It's obvious that you don't know what you're doing." he said and leaned against the coop doorframe.

She looked like she was going to argue but her words didn't come. Instead, she brushed the loose strands from her braid back and looked down at the ground.

"You're right. I don't know what I'm doing. I'm a lousy farmer and it won't be long until everyone else sees that." she said in defeat before adding "Even so, I'm not going to stop. It doesn't matter if I'm lousy or faking it, I'm still going to try my best." she said. He shook his head.

"You won't last long here. Why don't you just leave? We don't need you here and I'm surprised anyone thinks that this town does." He suggested, his arms folded. He hoped it pissed her off, got under her skin. Instead, she gave a non-committed nod.

"I'm not going to leave, so you better get used to me. If I didn't know any better, I would suspect you're trying to run me off and it's not going to work," she said, her eyes meeting his, her warning sticking to him. He gave her a disappointed glare but she didn't care. "Now, you can be mad about it but at least this can be our secret, that I'm so terrible. At least, until everyone else sees it too." she said and looked over to her row of sprouts.

If he cared a tiny bit, he would almost feel bad for her.

He sighed and scratched the back of his neck. She was so out of her element that it wasn't even funny. He looked back into the coop where the chick bounced around. It would be unfair to the chicks to let Jen loose on their poor lives. He straightened up and motioned over for her, grabbing her attention away from her crops. She followed him into the coop and he picked up the empty box and set it outside.

"So, the first thing you need to keep mind of when running a coop is how long your chicks had been cooped up…" he began and she gave him a wide-eyed look.

"You're… helping me out? Giving me advice?" she piped up and he pinched the bridge of his nose.

"Not for long if you keep talking. And it's not for you, it's for the chicks," he corrected and muttered something that he was hoping she hadn't heard.

"...and for the beer."


	4. Pizza and Pillows

The coat of shiny, sparkling maroon polish was still slightly tacky and needed more time to dry. Jennifer shook her hands back and forth, hoping the air would dry them quicker. She knew it was hopeless, as this would not last long at all with her work on the farm. She was willing to let her nails be painted for Haley, who was ecstatic to have a girl's evening. The sun was setting and the day was coming to a close. Jennifer could feel it in her bones and felt old. She never wanted to go to sleep at seven in the evening before, but long days of work and waking early had that effect.

The living room of Haley and her sister's shared house was covered in blankets, cushions, and a spread of pillows and nail accessories. Jen somewhat felt like a teenage girl again but she didn't mind. Her, Haley, and Alex were are comfortable enough on the padded floor of the living room.

"So farmer girl, how's the coop. You were excited about it the other day." Alex asked, trying to make conversation over his phone. He was watching some kind of sports highlights reel out loud and it was grating on her nerves. Haley didn't seem to mind, but it was probably normal for her by this point. Jennifer cringed at the nickname

"It's great! I feel like I'm getting a hang of this farmer thing. The chicks are adorable." she said, and Haley, who was filing her own nails down nodded. Jen was lying, the chicks were very adorable but she wasn't going to admit that she had dropped the feed in a panic and ran screaming from the coop this morning.

"Yeah, you're doing great. If you don't mind, maybe I could come to shoot. Chicks are the cutest at that age." she said and added. "And you probably got so much help from Marnie too. She's old but way nice. She lets me take photos on her ranch."

"Yeah, Marnie is darling. She's a great neighbor already." Jen agreed, avoiding the truth. Marnie had helped her but not like Haley was thinking. No, she'd rather not bring up Shane.

"Alex, what do you think? Pink or pale yellow polish?" Haley asked, holding up the glass bottles. The man didn't bother looking up from his loud phone and was caught off guard by the question.

"Huh? Oh, yes. That one." He gave unhelpfully. Haley rolled her eyes flicked her blonde hair behind her shoulder.

"I knew better than to ask you. Jen, what do you think?" she asked, her blue eyes giving Alex a momentary glare.

"Is there any way to go besides pink?"Jen gave and checked the stated of her nails. They were dry enough.

"You're so right." she gave Alex another glare, "You'll have to help me pick out my dress for the Flower Dance this year. I'm super excited. You know we'll be the prettiest ones there, right?" She giggled gleefully.

"For sure, I even called Brad. He said he could make it and he's not going to charge." Jen said, poking at her nails. Haley's eyes lit up.

"Brad, your friend who does professional hair and makeup Brad?" she asked, but knew who Jen was talking about. With a nod, Haley pulled Jen into a hug and squealed. "It's going to be so great dancing with you! I literally can't wait." When Haley pulled away, Jennifer took a stand, nearly falling over a fluffy pillow.

"I can't wait either. I'm so glad I have you right now." Jen admitted before bringing up something that had been on her mind for a while. "I'm starved and cup noodles still aren't what I dream of. I'm gonna go get a pizza. Do you guys want some?" Jen offered and Haley crinkled her nose up.

"Ew, no. I only eat thin crust pizza. I hate that deep-dish pizza at the saloon. Bread Sticks for me." she said, returning to filing her nails. Jen made the mental note.

"What about you, Alex. Will you split a pizza with me?" she asked and he looked up from his phone, shaking his head.

"I would but I'm on a no-carb diet. I have a new workout regime that I need to stick to." he said and Haley cut him a look.

"You liar, you were eating a tub of ice cream yesterday." she called him out and he shrugged.

"It was my cheat day." he stated matter of factly and Haley shook her head. With that, Jennifer gave a wave and headed out.

The short walk to the saloon was nice, the warm air of the impending summer made the pink and orange streaked sky even nicer. Jen would just order a few slices of pizza and be done with it, she determined. Now the question was three or four slices? Her stomach groaned and she leaned towards buying four.

She opened the door to the saloon, adjusting her sun hat and giving her nails a peek. They weren't messed up yet but they would be in a day's time. Gus waved her over to the register and she gave the saloon a quick look over. It was empty except for two people. Abigail, who sat on the couch in the lounge and Shane, who was in his normal spot trying to be invisible. Haley's sister was also cleaning the countertops, listening to music, the wires from her headphones waving back and forth.

"What can I get for you?" Gus asked, setting down a mug that he had been wiping dry.

"Three slices of pizza and an order of breadsticks please." she ordered and Gus tsked.

"We don't do slices. Only full pizzas." he informed and Jen pondered her life choices. She wanted pizza but she didn't have a microwave yet to heat up anything and her mini-fridge was already on the brink of overflowing with waters and sandwich makings. She wondered if she could convince Alex to have another "cheat day" but decided it wasn't worth the risk.

Then she spotted the shadowy man sitting across the bar. It would be better to try to give him half a pizza and be snapped at than to have a whole pizza that she would have to waste half of.

"Okay, that's fine. Thanks." she pulled her debit card from her pocket and added. "Can I get an extra plate?" she asked and Gus nodded, taking her card.

Waiting patiently, she scrolled through social media as the pizza cooked. Periodically, she would glance over to where Shane was sitting and she wondered if it was worth it to offer him the other half. She wasn't really in the mood to get fussed at and she didn't want more of a reason to avoid him. He was… decent the day before. He had helped with her coop and left in a hurry afterward. _You won't last long here._ His words echoed but at least she felt the tiniest bit better about approaching him. A voice snapped her from her thoughts.

"Here you are. An order of breadsticks, a pepperoni pizza, and an extra plate." Gus said, placing everything on the bartop in front of her. She gave a thank you and took the box and bag in hand.

Taking a deep breath, she put on a straight face and walked around the bar to where the grump slouched over the counter. There was no way he hadn't seen her approach him, but his eyes remained on his hands. He was ignoring her. That was fair.

"So, they don't have single slices here and I have this whole pizza on my hands. I thought maybe you would want half of it. I even brought an extra plate for you if you-" she began and he interrupted her.

"Giving me pizza isn't going to make me your buddy. If that's your intention, then get out of here." he grumbled and took a gulp of the beer, the mug clinking as he set it down. He still avoided looking at her. She sighed and debated just leaving but decided to stick to it.

"It's more of a thank you… for yesterday. I know you did _not_ want to help me, but you did." she said and he looked over his shoulder at her. His scrutinizing look didn't help any.

"It wasn't for you, so don't take it personally." he grumbled and she bit the inside of her cheek.

"Do you want the pizza or not? I'm trying to be nice and I'm not trying to get something out of you if that's what you're thinking. You're my neighbor and I'm being friendly, okay?" she clarified and he groaned.

"Fine, I'll take the pizza is that's what will get you to leave me alone. I don't want any "neighborly" favors anymore after this." he snapped and straightened up a little bit, swaying slightly. His pierced eyes glowered down at her and she took a breath.

"Okay, thank you. I hope you like pepperoni." She offered as she opened the box and used the cheap plastic scoop to place half of the pizza on the paper plate. Cheese clung to the other half and stretched until it broke. Sliding the plate towards him and closed the pizza box.

She turned to leave as he reluctantly pulled the plate in front of him but added something.

"Have a good evening. Enjoy the pizza."


	5. Flower Dance

"Honestly, I think I like this slight tan on you. You're as stunning as always and the pink peonies were definitely the way to go. You look sickening." His sing-song voice complimented as he weaved the fresh flowers into her caramel blonde hair. He dropped the braid and pulled it apart, spraying a generous amount of instant freeze hairspray, the smell mingled with the aroma of the caramel latte he brought her.

"Thanks, Brad," she said, taking a deep gulp of the latte, savoring the flavor she had missed for so long. She hadn't had good coffee like this since she arrived in the town and after over a month, it felt like heaven. It felt like home.

The past few weeks had gone by and her farm was still intact by some miracle. The parsnips she had planted were growing and with her excitement taking hold, she planted a lot more crops while the season was still in full swing. Her chicks, on the other hand, were something she had gotten more used to. To put it lightly, she could bear to feed them. Whenever she tried to pet them, they would chirp and bounce over to her. She was still uneasy and didn't want to pick them up, but she found that ruffling the soft yellow down feathers wasn't so bad.

She cringed to think of what would happen when they grow older. Larger claws and more anger, she guessed. For now, she was content and had even named a few. Stinky was her favorite chick, but Abe Lincoln was growing on her.

The bathroom door swung open and Haley bounced in, her already completed half up half down hair style was finished and her eyeshadow sparkled in the warm light of the bathroom mirror. She tapped her foot and looked at her phone.

"Are you finishing up? I wanna get there early to practice my dancing and get a few solo shots. You'll practice with me, won't you?" she asked, her voice carried her words swift. Jennifer sighed and looked to Brad, who tsked and held a mirror behind her. As usual, the style was perfect and looked picturesque. She admired Brad's skill and she was stunned by how much he had improved since he insisted on doing her hair in highschool.

"Uh-huh," Jen responded, admiring her braid and the placement of the pink blossoms. "I'll definitely need to practice. Maybe we can get a picture under the cherry blossom tree?"

"That would be lovely. I'm no professional, but I can take the photo so you can get the whole group." Brad offered, pulling the mirror up to his own face as he flicked at his own hair. The white-blonde style was always cut and crisp. Catching Brad looking messy was a rare sight and usually meant he was either way past his drinking limit or upset.

"That's perfect." Haley exclaimed, clapping her hands together. She had gotten glitter on her fingers from her dress and heels, the brilliant white made her look as if she were going to walk down the aisle.

Jennifer stood from the kitchen chair that they had to bring in and smoothed out the light blue ballroom style gown that Brad had brought for her. Truly, he was her savior most of the time when he wasn't getting her into trouble.

Taking the cue, Haley, led both her and Brad from the restroom and began to gather her camera and such for the day. She and Brad waited and she inspected her whole look, smiling to herself.

"Oh Jen, you're going to have to visit me every month. I can't let you fall out of touch just because you have this farm. Besides, those stick on nails are no luxury for you. Don't let this farming gig make a manicurist weep." he said and bumped her chin up with his knuckle. "You're better than that so take care of yourself okay?" he said with a smile, but she knew he was concerned.

This was one of the things she had tried not to let slip away from her, something that was as much a part of her as her skin was. She couldn't let anything mess with her appearance or her style. Yes, she was going to pull weeds and look stunning doing it. She owed that to herself and her friends. It was what set her apart and she was determined to keep it up until she was too old to stand.

"Yes, stick on nails aren't my style."

* * *

His fingers twitched, desperately resisting the urge to pull the flask from his suit pocket. No, instead, he had a wet wipe in hand and was looking around in the sea of white dresses and blue pantsuits.

Shane didn't know what he was doing dressed up and he swore he would never, ever come to this dance without the intention of grabbing a plate of free food and leaving immediately. He didn't know how he was convinced to have a clean shave so early in the morning and fix his hair with gel that he hadn't touched in years. He had no clue as to how one little girl could bat her eyes and tug at his leg and make him come out, dressed and polished, which he almost forgot how to do.

Yet, here he was.

And the little girl responsible was running around excitedly, covered in a chocolate cupcake that she was offered. Jas had not shut up about the Flower Dance in weeks and he half blamed Marnie for showing her an abundance of period dramas set in the victorian era. Tea parties, dances, and writing with a dip pen were on Jas's mind and she wouldn't let up. If all he could do was dress her up and bring her to a useless town dance, then he hoped she would be content with it. Hell, he hoped giving her a chicken feather as a makeshift quill pen would be enough but she had gotten upset with how bad it was at writing. Maybe this would make up for it.

With each second that he scanned the small but surprisingly dense crowd of dresses, he felt more and more inclined to pull that flask out. He wasn't sure if it was for the best, but he soon spotted her standing next to a familiar blonde farmer.

Her blue, flowing dress almost brushed the grass and her hair was braided with some kind of pink flower. The petals had begun to fall from the flowers and were caught in her hair and gripped the back of her low cut dress.

She was as pretty as usual and perhaps now even more unapproachable. He didn't want to say that he had taken a liking ot her, but she wasn't as unbearable to be around as before. Every so often, she would come into the saloon, order a pizza, and then bring him half. The first few times, he had told her to get lost and to stop, but she never listened. She would simply ignore him, slide the plate to him, and tell him to have a good evening before she would leave. He had gotten to the point that he would no longer argue and just accepted that she would never learn to leave him alone.

Instead of telling her to get lost, he would mutter a thanks and she would be off. It didn't matter, the result was the same. She would still give him pizza and she would still leave immediately afterward. He wondered if it was the thought of bothering him that had her leave promptly, but the smarter half of him knew that it was probably pity. She would give him pizza to "help him" as some kind of meaningless charity, and then when she felt better about her good deed of the day, she would leave. She didn't want to talk to him and she didn't want to stay.

Besides, there was no telling what her new buddies had shared about him. She probably knew better than to place hope in him at this point.

Mentally steeling himself, he trudged over to were Jas was happily talking to her, her sugar rush giving her a surge of friendliness. Her grin was punctuated with chocolate icing like dimples.

"You look just like a princess! I wanna look like you when I grow up!" Jas giggled and swayed from side to side, her hands clasped in front of her. He flower crown hung loosely and threatened to fall to the grass.

"Like me? I'm no princess. You're the one with the crown, miss thing!" she said in mock shock, her hand placed humbly over her heart as if taken back by the child's beauty.

"My uncle is going to dance with me! Are you dancing with anyone?" She asked, and Jennifer nodded.

"Your uncle? How nice!" She gave and pointed over to Haley, who was practicing her footwork a few feet away. "My friend there is going to show me how to dance. I'm not any good, but I'm sure you're great!" she said and Jas beamed.

"Oh, I can show you, miss. I watched a docu-documemory about it!"Jas bragged and reached for Jennifer's pristine, blue skirt, her chocolate covered fingers promising a stain. He didn't want to be responsible for that argument.

"Woah there, pumpkin!" he interjected, reaching down in the knick of time to capture her hand. Jennifer jumped a bit in surprise, surely not expecting someone to swing in and grab the child she was talking to. He ignored her and wiped the chocolate from Jas's fingers clumsily.

"Uncle Shane!" she whined and gave a looked of disgust when he leaned down to wipe her face with the scented wet wipe.

"Just a second, kiddo. Can't be messing up the lady's dress." He explained and Jas gave a look of realization at her now clean hand, as if she hadn't thought of the possibility of getting anything dirty. A small voice shouted out about something in the background and Jas's eyes lit up as she looked around the clearing.

"Vincent is here! Please let me go, dear sir!" she pleaded, taking the language from her period dramas. He sighed and studied his clean up job. Good enough. He released his loose grip on her arm.

"Alright, but no more cupcakes. I don't want you getting-" and she was already gone. He straightened up "-sick…" He stood in silence for a moment and only realized that Jennifer was still watching when she spoke up.

"What a cutie pie. Looks like you have your hands full." She joked and then gestured at him. "I hardly recognized you, all cleaned up." She admitted.

He shrugged and looked at the ground, pulling at his sleeve.

"Yeah… She wanted a dance partner for the dance and I couldn't say no. She's a handful but she's a cute little squirt." He said and paused. Why was he telling her that? Before the blonde could respond, a white haired, froo-froo looking guy in a ritzy tracksuit bounced up and pulled at her bare shoulder.

"Jen, picture time! Let's go!" he sung and the dark blonde gave Shane a quick look.

"I'm sorry. I have to go. Have fun with the little one, uncle Shane!" she dismissed and was gone in a few seconds. He looked at his feet and mentally cursed himself. Why did he try to talk to her? It wasn't as if he was going to be her friend and it certainly wasn't like he wanted to hang around her.

No, the sooner she was gone, the better.

Shane was sure she knew that and that she would go back to the city where she belonged. She didn't belong here and her farm was a joke. Besides, she didn't even fit in and even now that was apparent. Her dress was blue when it was supposed to be white.

Closing his eyes, he turned back and looked around for Jas. She was with Vincent, who was holding up a cricket that he found in the grass. Jas wasn't scared of the bug and leaned in the get a closer look, her eyes wide. A better time than ever to mess around with her.

"Scared of that little cricket?" he asked and she shook her head. Vincent gave Shane a smile. He was a well-behaved kid and he was glad that Jas had him to play with.

"Nope! A lady is never scared!" she proclaimed, mocking a british accent like in the dramas. Shane crouched down and pointed at the cricket.

"You're not scared of this thing? For real?" he asked, and she once again shook her head, this time accompanied by crossed arms.

"You should be," he began, making it up as he went, "These crickets are even more mean to little girls who aren't afraid. They get ya when you don't expect it." Jas dropped her guard and gave a wary look at the cricket, Vincent had resorted to holding it farther from him.

"No they don't. You're just messing with me like last time, right?" she half asked, her disbelief waned. Shane stood back up and gave her a short laugh.

"Right, kiddo. Just messing with ya."

She giggled in response and was gestured away by Vincent, who wanted to show her something. Shane looked over to the table that gleamed like a beacon to him. It was covered in casserole dishes and plates of sweets and finger foods.

Making himself comfortable, he made his way over to it and began to fix himself a plate, ignoring what he was certain was a glare from a passerby that he hadn't bothered to look up at. Plate in hand, he looked over his shoulder into the mass of practicing dancers and onlookers. He wasn't sure what had made him curious.

Practicing in the far corner, Haley and Jennifer held each other close, their dressing swaying with each step. They both adorned smiles and their lips moved with words that he couldn't hear as Jennifer stumbled a bit.

His mood soured, and instead of being drawn to his plate, his hand quickly found the flask tucked away in his pocket.


End file.
